Publishing as Practice

Publishing as Practice centers on the work of three contemporary artists/book publishers who have developed fresh ways of broaching the political in publishing.

This book documents Publishing as Practice, a residency at Ulises—a curatorial platform based in Philadelphia—that explores publishing as an incubator for new forms of editorial, curatorial and artistic practice.

Over the course of two years, three publishers activated Ulises as an exhibition space and public programming hub, engaging the public through workshops, discussions and projects. Residents included Hardworking Goodlooking, the publishing arm of Philippines-based, social-practice platform The Office of Culture and Design; Dominica, an imprint run by Martine Syms dedicated to exploring Blackness as a topic, reference, marker and audience in visual culture; and Bidoun, a non-profit organization focused on art and culture from the Middle East and its diasporas.

Edited by Kayla Romberger, Gee Wesley, Nerissa Cooney, Lauren Downing, and Ricky Yanas, Publishing as Practice features a preface by David Senior, Head of Library and Archives at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and Ulises Carrión’s 1975 publishing manifesto “The New Art of Making Books.”

Publishing as Practice also includes writing from Clara Balaguer, Hardworking Goodlooking, Martine Syms/Dominica, Bidoun, Lauren Downing, Kayla Romberger, and Gee Wesley alongside interviews, excerpts, and documentation from each residency.

Designed by Joel Evey and David Wise

Published by Inventory Press and Ulises, 2021

Softcover, 176 pages, 80 color images, 7.75 × 10.25 inches

ISBN: 978-1-94-175340-8